Generally, lift-up sliding type doors and windows, which are used as relatively large doors and windows, such as patio doors connecting living rooms to balconies, have advantages in that the sliding motion for opening or closing can be smoothly and quietly conducted, airtightness and watertightness are ensured, and soundproofing and crime prevention effects are superior.
FIG. 1 shows a representative example of such lift-up sliding type doors and windows. As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional lift-up sliding type door or window 201 includes a support frame 203 having an opening 203a, a pane frame 205 which supports a sheet of pane glass 205a and is slidably provided in the support frame 203 to openably close the support frame 203, and an opening and closing device 101 which locks or releases the pane frame 205, which slides to open or close.
In response to the rotation of a handle 120 provided at a predetermined position on the pane frame 205, the opening and closing device 101 allows the pane frame 205 to slide along a rail 203b of the support frame 203 while being spaced apart from the rail 203b, or allows the pane frame 205 to come into close contact with the rail 203b of the support frame 203 due to its own weight such that the pane frame 205 is prevented from sliding along the rail 203b. The minimization of noise during the process of sliding the pane frame 205, convenience of opening and closing manipulation, airtightness, watertightness, and soundproofing and crime prevention effects are determined by the performance of the opening and closing device 101.
To achieve the above-mentioned purposes, recently, various techniques for improving opening and closing devices for lift-up sliding doors and windows have been developed. A representative example of such techniques was disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0349119, shown in FIGS. 2 through 4.
As shown in the drawings, a conventional opening and closing device 101 for lift-up sliding doors and windows includes a pair of roller units 110, which are provided in a lower end of a pane frame (205 of FIG. 1). The roller units 110 slide the pane frame 205 along a rail 203b of a support frame 203 and move the pane frame 205 in directions away from or approaching the rail 203b. The opening and closing device 101 further includes a handle 120, which is rotatably provided in a leading end of the pane frame 205, and a handle assembly 130, which has a plurality of gears 131 and a gear link 133 for converting rotation of the handle 120 into linear motion and has a pull slider 135. The opening and closing device 101 further includes an upper connection link 140, which couples the gear link 133 to the handle assembly 130, and a damping spring 150, which absorbs shocks generated when the pane frame 205 vertically moves.
In the conventional opening and closing device 101 having the above-mentioned construction, when the handle 120 is rotated in one direction by manipulation of a user, the operating force is transmitted to the gear link 133 through the gears 131, which are provided in the handle assembly 130 and engage with each other, and thus is converted into upward linear motion of the gear link 133 before being transmitted to the pull slider 135, which is coupled to the gear link 133.
Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the upper connection link 140, which is coupled to the pull slider 135, is moved upwards, so that a pane frame support member 111 of the roller unit 110 is moved away from rollers 113. Thus, the pane frame 205 enters a slidable state, in which it is spaced apart from the rail 203b of the support frame 203.
At this time, the weight of the pane frame 205 is reduced by the damping spring 150 while the pane frame 205 is moved away from the rail 203b of the support frame 203. After the pane frame 205 enters the lifted state, the pull slider 135 is locked to a stopper 137, thus maintaining the upper connection link 140 in the upward moved state, that is, maintaining the pane frame 205 in the state of being spaced apart from the rail 203b of the support frame 203. Thereafter, when the user releases the handle 120, the gears 131 are rotated in the opposite direction by a spring, so that the handle 120 is returned to the initial position thereof.
Furthermore, when the pane frame support member 111 is moved upwards away from the rollers 113, a guide roller 173, which is provided on a support plate 171, which rotatably supports the rollers 113, is moved downwards along a linear lift guide slot 175, which is formed at a lower position in the pane frame support member 111 at an incline.
Meanwhile, when a switch 138 of the handle assembly 130 is brought into contact with a striker 160 by closing the pane frame 205 and thus is pushed inwards, or when the switch 138 is forcibly pushed inwards to maintain a desired opened position of the pane frame 205, the stopper 137 is operated through a switch link 139 in the unlocking direction. Thus, the pull slider 135 is released from the stopper 137.
Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper connection link 140, which is coupled to the pull slider 135, is moved downwards, and the pane frame support member 111 of the roller unit 110 is moved towards the rollers 113. Thus, the pane frame 205 is brought into close contact with the rail 203b of the support frame 203. As a result, the pane frame 205 enters the stationary state due to its own weight.
At this time, the weight of the pane frame 205 is damped by the damping spring 150 while the pane frame 205 is brought into contact with the rail 203b of the support frame 203. Furthermore, in the closed state, in which the pane frame 205 contacts the support frame 203, a locking spring 135a of the pull slider 135 engages with a locking protrusion (170 of FIG. 2) of the striker (160 of FIG. 2), which is fastened to the support frame 203, so that the pane frame 205 is automatically locked. In the open state, the pane frame 205 is maintained at the opened position thereof by its own weight.
Furthermore, when the pane frame support member 111 is moved downwards towards the rollers 113, the guide roller 173, which is provided on the support plate 171, which rotatably supports the rollers 113, is moved upwards along the linear lift guide slot 175, which is formed at a lower position in the pane frame support member 111 at an incline.
However, in the conventional opening and closing device for lift-up sliding doors and windows, a complex gear mechanism and a separate damping spring are required to reduce the operating force required to move the pane frame upwards and downwards away from and onto the rail of the support frame. Therefore, there is a problem in that the structure of the mechanism for reducing the operating force is very complex.
Furthermore, because the gear link and the pull slider are required for transmitting force from the gears to the upper connection link, the structure for operating the upper connection link is also complex.
As well, the structure for locking the pane frame, that is, the structure for locking and releasing the pull slider to and from the stopper, is also very complex.
As such, due to the complex structure of the device, the process of manufacturing the device is also complicated, and manufacturing costs thereof are increased.
Moreover, when the pane frame support member is moved upwards with respect to the rollers, the guide roller is linearly moved along the lift guide slot, which is formed at a lower position in the pane frame support member at an incline. Here, because the lift guide slot is linearly formed at an incline, the weight of the pane frame cannot be dispersed, but is continuously applied towards the lower end of the lift guide slot (in the direction of the arrow “H”, shown in the partially enlarged view of FIGS. 3 and 4). Therefore, there is a problem in that the force required to rotate the handle and the force required to operate the gears, that is, the force required to open and close the pane frame, is increased.